O’Driscoll arrived as the successor to Colin Pascoe, and said: “I am excited to be joining one of the world’s most iconic football clubs.

“The hallmark of any successful club is its culture and that comes from the people who work there, from the chief executive and first-team managers to those people behind the scenes whose faces may not be known but who are the lifeblood of the club.

“From the moment I drove into Melwood last week and was greeted by Kenny, the gate man, I could not have been made to feel more welcome.”